not an interpreter of these words but a peruerter of them Next to see if the meaning be right he must confer theÌ„ with other parts places of the Scripture see how it agreeth with the analogy of faith And if he finde any harmony there is no doubt but the sence is true The third thing that he must do he must take heed how the words are placed in what order they come in what relation they haue to the things that go before and also how they are fastened with the things that follow But he that would interprete truly must chiefly take heede to the Scriptures for all true interpretations must be sought out of the Scriptures for seeing that all truth is contained in the Scriptures there can be no true interpretation but that which floweth from thence Men should not be leaned to where they want Scriptures for no man should vse a lie to interpret a truth and the words of men without Scripture are onely lyes and vanities Also if the interpreter would be sensible as he ought and should be of force he must vse Scripture he must conferre place with place and that thing which he findeth obscurely spoken in one place he wil finde it more clearely spoken in another So many Scriptures are necessary and he that would interprete truely must haue many Scriptures in his memory Therefore we should pray for holy memories for our old memories wil not keep these things they must be sanctified memoryes that shall keep holy things As he must be a faithtull interpreter so he must be a skilfull applier for he must Deuide the word aright It is not ynough that he apply except he apply it also skilfully So application is necessary skilful applicatioÌ„ I say is necessary As it is not possible that we can feede vpon food except it be applied to our mouth as little is it possible that our soules can feede except the food of them be applyed Indeed things would be applyed skilfully for as if the foode be applied to any other part but the mouth the application serueth not euen so it is in spirituall things if they be not applied to the right parts and to the right diseases the applicatioÌ„ may do them more euill then good Therefore it is necessary that he who would do the part of a skilfull applyer do know the faults and diseases of his flocke which is not possible to be done in this Towne except it were deuided into parishes that euery one might haue a reasonable number to come to him that he were acquainted with and accustomed with their manners and behauiour This application is a chiefe point of the Pastors office for there is no edifying beside it there is no obedieÌ„ce to God but by it And therefore as by interpretation he informeth the mind and maketh it to vnderstand what he should do what he should leaue vndone So by application he should subdue the will that it may giue obedience and follow the vnderstanding Then in a word we see that the gift of gouernment and the gift of exhortation are necessarily requisite to be in a Pastor in some measure in such sort that he canot be a Pastor except he haue a part of both these gifts as I haue said in some measure And therefore ye haue to take heede to your admission in admitting of yong men ye should see how they haue profited in both thesâ— gifts And that act which was made in the last prouinciall assembly would be taken heede to that none be placed in this office except he haue learned by time the gift of gouernment together with the gift of teaching in some measure And as for application it is so necessary if it were no more but to turne ouer the very words of the text vpon the Auditory it must not be left yea and the nearer that we go to Gods word the application is so much the better for his word must euer haue a greater force with it then any other word And when the people heare that God speaketh and not man it striketh a great reuerence in the hearts of the auditory And so much the more when we consider the worthinesse and dignity of the subiect whereupon we ought to take these paines and are to intreate The Apostle calleth it here the word of truth The more notable that any subiect is it would be so much the more wisely handled And we haue not such a notable subiect as this for there is not a subiect that hath these epithetes to be called sound wholesome holy and true but this And beside this there is neither health soundnesse truth nor holinesse Therefore we should not choppe nor change with the word as if it were a vaine word but with great humility it would be handled But who is able to do these things or to answer to the meanest part of them These things craue an exact diligence a singular care and a painefull trauell They are not purchased by sluggishnes they will not giue vs leaue to employ our selues else-where but they take the whole man yea the whole thing that he may do if it were more And therefore in respect of this the Apostle vseth the word Study shewing vs that these things are not gotten without study that is without an earnest care and great diligence All things whereunto a Pastor should study may be taken vp in two words In faith and in a good conscience Study we for these two there is no doubt but we shall take heede both to our selues and to our office And these two we cannot keep except we study for the third also which is the keeper of all the rest to wit the holy Spirit We must study to entertaine and nourish him and this is done chiefly by praying in the holy Spirit Therefore we should be acquainted with prayer and be instant in it that the Lord would not withdraw his holy Spirit from vs but rather increase the power thereof from day to day that we might finde by experience and by a sensible feeling the truth of his heauenly promises within our selues and speciallie of that promise of life euerlasting To the which life Christ Iesus that great Pastor of the sheepe who gaue his life for his flocke bring vs. To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honor praise and glory for euer and euer Amen FINIS The heads to be intreated of in this Sermon Definition of conscience with the exposition of the parts thereof To what vses the Lord hath appointed the conscience to serue in the soule of man Application Certaine lessons to be learned by which a man may preserue healâ—h in his soule conscience In what points we should examine our consciences How faith is created in our soules A similitude of the apprehension of the corporall foode to illustrate the spirituall How faith is nourished entertained in vs. Conclusion with an exhortation How a sincere faith is knowne A man renouncing
it taken so largely in any part of the book of God Alwaies the word Sacrament is very ambiguous in it selfe and there arise about the ambiguity of this word many controuersies which are not yet ceassed nor will not ceasse while the world lasteth whereas if they had kept the Apostles words and called them as the Apostle calleth them Signes and Seales all this digladiation strife and contention appearingly had not fallen out but where men will be wiser then God and giue names to things without warrant from God vpon the wit of man which is but meere folly all this stirre falleth out Well then to come vnto the purpose The ancient Diuines tooke the word Sacrament as we may perceiue in a fourefold manner Sometime they tooke it for the whole action that is the whole ministery of the Elements sometime they tooke it not for the whole action but for the outward things that are vsed in the action of Baptisme and of the Supper as they tooke it for the water and sprinkling of it for the Bread and Wine breaking distributing and eating thereof Thirdly againe they tooke it not for the whole outward things that are vsed in the action but onely for the materiall and earthly things the Elements as for Bread and Wine in the Supper and water in Baptisme And after this sort saith Augustine the wicked eate the body of our Lord concerning the Sacrament onely that is concerning the Elements only Last of all they tooke it not only for the Elements but for the things signified by the Elements And after this manner Irenaeus saith that a Sacrament standeth of two things the one earthly the other heauenly The ancient Diuines then taking the word after these sorts no question all these wayes they tooke it rightly But leauing the ambiguity of the word I take the word Sacrament as it is taken and vsed this day in the Church of God for a holy Signe Seale that is annexed to the preached word of God to seale vp confirme the truth contained in the same word so that I call not the seale separated from the word a Sacrament For as there can not be a seale but that which is the seale of an euidence and if the seale be separated from the euidence it is not a seale but looke what it is by nature it is no more So there cannot be a Sacrament except it be annexed to the euidence of the word but looke what the Sacrament was by nature it is no more Was it a common peece of bread It remaines common bread except it be ioyned to the euidence of the word Therefore the word onely cannot be a Sacrament nor the element only cannot be a Sacrament but the word and element coniunctly must make a Sacrament And so Augustine said well Let the word come to the element and so ye shall haue a Sacrament So then the word must come to the element that is the word preached distinctly and all the parts of it opened vp must goe before the hanging to of the Sacracrament and the Sacrament as a seale must follow and so be receiued accordingly Then I call a Sacrament the word and seale coniunctly the one hung to the other It is without all controuersie and there is no doubt in it that all Sacraments are signes Now if a Sacrament be a signe as the signe is in a relation in that Category for so we must speake it so the Sacrament must be placed in that same Categorie of relation Now euery relation againe must stand of force betwixt two things for one thing cannot be the correlatiue of it selfe but in a lawfull relation of force there must be two things which two haue euer a mutuall respect the one to the other therefore in euery Sacrament that hath a relation there must be two things which two haue euer a mutuall respect the one to the other Take away one of these two things from the Sacrament ye lose the relation and losing the relation ye lose the Sacrament Confound any of these two with the other make either a confusion or permixtion of them ye lose the relation and losing the relation ye lose the Sacrament Turne ouer the one into the other so that the substance of the one starts vp and vanisheth in the other ye lose the relation and so ye lose the Sacrament Then as in euery Sacrament there is a relation so to keepe the relation ye must euer keepe two things seuerally in the Sacrament Now for the better vnderstanding and consideration of these two diuerse things which are relatiue to others we shall keepe this order by Gods grace First I will let you see what is meant by a signe in the Sacrament Next I will let you vnderstand what is meant by the thing signified Thirdly how they two are coupled by what power and vertue they are conioyned and from whence this power and vertue floweth Fourthly and last of all I will let you vnderstand whether one and the selfesame instrument giueth the signe and the thing signified or not whether they be giuen in one action or two whether they be offred to one instrument or two or if they be giuen after one manner or two to both the instruments Marke these diuersities the diuerse manner of the receiuing the diuersitie of the instruments the diuersitie of the giuers and ye shall find little difficultie in the Sacrament Now to begin at the signes seeing all Sacraments are signes what call we the signes in the Sacrament I call the signes in the Sacrament whatsoeuer I perceiue and take vp by my outward senses by mine eye especially Now ye see in this Sacrament there are two sorts of things subiect to the outward senses and to the eye especially ye see the Elements of Bread and Wine are subiect to mine eye therefore they must be signes Ye see againe that the rites and ceremonies whereby these Elements are distributed broken giuen are subiect to mine eye also Then I must make two sorts of signes one sort of the Bread and Wine and we call them elementall another sort of the rites and ceremonies whereby these are distributed broken and giuen and we call them ceremoniall Be not deceiued with the word Ceremonie thinke not that I call the breaking of the Bread the eating of the Bread and drinking of the Wine Ceremonies thinke not that they are vaine as yee vse that word Ceremonie for a vaine thing which hath no grace nor profite following after it No although I call them Ceremonies there is neuer a Ceremonie which Christ instituted in this Supper but it is as essentiall as the Bread and Wine are and ye cannot leaue one iotte of them except ye peruert the whole institution for what euer Christ commanded to be done what euer he spake or did in that whole action it is essential and must be done ye cannot leaue one iot thereof but ye will peruert the whole action
yet if ye be touched in your hearts with any feeling or remorse of your life past go not from the Table but come with a prostation of your misery and wretchednesse and come with a heart to get grace If with a dissolute life I meane not of open slanders thou haue also a purpose not to amend but to do worse for Gods sake abstaine Thus far of the thing signified Vnto this generall consideration there remaineth these things yet to be made plaine vnto you First how the signes and the thing signified are coupled together and how they are conioyned Next it resteth to be told you how the signe is deliuered and how the thing signified is deliuered and how both are receiued as they are deliuered This being done I shall speake briefly of the other part of the Sacrament which is the word And last of all I shall let you see what sort of faults they are that peruert the Sacrament and make it of no effect And if time shall serue I shall enter in particular to this Sacrament which we haue in hand Then to come backe againe In the third place it is to be considered how the signe and the thing signified are coupled For about this coniunction all the debate stands all the strifes that we haue with them that vary from the straight truth stand about the matter of this coniunction Some will haue them conioyned one way and some after another way and men striue very bitterly about this matter and continue so in strife that through the bitternesse of contention they lose the truth for when the heate of contention ariseth and especially in disputation they take no heed to the truth but to the victory If they may be victorious and it were but by a multitude of words they regard not suppose they lose the truth Reade their works and bookes about this coniunction you wil craue rather conscience then knowledge yea if they had the quarter of conscience that they haue of knowledge no question this controuersie might be easily taken vp but men lacking conscience and hauing knowledge an euill conscience peruerts the knowledge and drawes them to an euill end To tell you now how these two are conioyned it will be far easier for me and better for you to vnderstand to tell you first how they are conioyned for I shall make it very cleare vnto you by letting you see how they are not conioyned but it is not possible to make it so cleare by telling you the manner how they are conioyned Ye may perceiue clearely by your eyes that the signe and the thing signified are not locally conioyned that is they are not both in one place Ye may perceiue also by your outward senses that the bodie of Christ which is the thing signified and the signes are not conioyned corporally their bodies touch not each other You may perceiue also they are not visibly conioyned they are not both subiect to the outward eye So it is easie to let you see how they are not conioyned For if the signe and the thing signified were visibly and corporally conioyned what need were there for vs to haue a signe Wherefore should the signe in the Sacrament serue vs Is not the signe in the Sacrament appointed to leade me to Christ is not the signe appointed to point out Christ vnto me If I saw him present by mine owne eye as I do the Bread what need had I of the Bread Therefore ye may see clearely that there is no such thing as a corporall naturall or any such like physicall coniunction betweene the signe the thing signified So I say it is easie to let you see how they are not conioyned Now let vs see how they are conioyned We cannot craue here any other sort of coniunction then may stand agree with the nature of the Sacrament for nothing can be conioyned with another after any other sort then the nature of it will suffer therefore there cannot be here any other sort of coniunction then the nature of the Sacrament will suffer Now the nature of the Sacrament will suffer a Sacramentall coniunction O but that is hard yet ye are neuer the better for this but I shall make it cleare by Gods grace Ye know euery Sacrament is a mysterie there is not a Sacrament but it containes a high and diuine mysterie In respect then that a Sacrament is a mystery it followeth that a mysticall secret and a spirituall coniuction agreeth well with the nature of the Sacrament As the coniunction betweene vs and Christ is full of mysterie as the Apostle letteth you see Eph. 5.32 that it is a mysticall and spirituall coniunction so no doubt the coniunction betweene the Sacrament and the thing signified in the Sacrament must be of that same nature mysticall and spirituall It is not possible to tell you by any ocular demonstration how Christ and we are conioyned But whosoeuer would vnderstand that coniunction his mind must be enlightened with an heauenly eye that as he hath an eye in his head to see corporall things so he must haue in his mind and heart an heauenly eye to see this mysticall coniunction a heauenly eye to take vp this secret coniunction that is betwixt the Sonne of God and vs in the Sacrament So I need not to insist any longer hereupon except ye haue this heauenly illumination ye can neuer vnderstand neither your owne coniunction with Christ nor yet the coniunction betweene the signe and the thing signified in the Sacrament But I keepe my ground As the Sacrament is a mysterie so the coniunction that is in the Sacrament no doubt must be a mysticall secret and spirituall coniunction Besides this I will let you see by a generall deduction that in euery Sacrament are two things which two haue a relation and mutuall respect the one to the other so that a relatiue coniunction agreeth well with the nature of the Sacrament Then wilt thou aske what kinde of coniunction it is I answer the coniunction that agreeth with nature to wit a relatiue and a respectiue coniunction such a coniunction wherein the signe hath a continuall respect to the thing signified and the thing signified to the signe Then would you know in a word the kind of coniunction that is betweene the signe and the thing signified I call it a secret and a mysticall coniunction that standeth in a mutual relation betweene the signe and the thing signified There is another coniunction besides the coniunction that is betweene Christ and vs that may make this coniunction betwixt the signe and the thing signified in the Sacrament more cleare and this is the coniunction which is betweene the word which you heare and the thing signified by the same word Marke what sort of coniunction is betweene the word which you heare and the thing signified which cometh into your mind the like coniunction is betweene the signe that you see and the thing signified in the
in the institution and it is contained in these words This is my bodie The Promise craueth faith as the Command craueth obedience so the Promise craueth beliefe Therefore come not vnto the Sacrament except ye bring both faith and obedience with you If thou come not with a heart minding to obâ—y Christ at the least more then thou wast wont to do thou comest vnto thy owne damnation And if thou bringest a heart void of faith thou comest vnto thine owne damnation So let euery one that cometh vnto the Sacrament bring with him a heart minding to do better that is to obey and belieue Christ better then he did in time past Except ye bring these two in some measure come not vnto the Sacrament for whatsoeuer thou doest except it flow from faith it can profite nothing Thus farre briefly concerning the word Now it will be demanded what neede is there that these Sacraments and seales should be annexed the word wherefore are they annexed seeing we get no more in the Sacrament then we get in the word and we get as much in the very simple word as we get in the Sacraments Seeing then we get no new thing in the Sacrament but the same thing which we get in the simple word wherefore is the Sacrament appointed to be hung vnto the word It is true certainly that we get no new thing in the Sacrament nor we get no other thing in the Sacrament then we get in the word for what more wouldest thou craue then to get the Sonne of God if thou get him well Thy heart cannot wish nor imagine a gâ—eater gift then to haue the Sonne of God who is King of heauen and earth therefore I say what nâ—w thing wouldest thou haue for if thou get him thou gettest all things with him thy heart cannot imagine a new thing besides him Wherefore then is the Sacrament appointed Not to get thee any new thing I say it is appointed to get thee that same thing better then thou hadst it in the word The Sacrament is appointed that we may take better hold of Christ then we could in the simple word that we may possesse Christ in our hearts and minds more fully and largely then we did before in the simple word That Christ might haue a larger space to make residence in our narrow hearts then he could haue by the hearing of the simple word and to possesse Christ more fully it is a better thing For suppose Christ be one thing in himselfe yet the better hold thou hast of him thou art the surer of his promise The Sacraments are appointed that I might haue him more fully in my soule that I might haue the bounds of it enlarged that he may make the better residence in me This no doubt is the cause wherefore these Seales are annexed to the euidence of the simple word They serue to this end also to seale vp and confirme the truth that is in the word for as the office of the Seale hung to the Euidence is not to confirme any other truth then that which is in the Euidence and though ye belieued the Euidence before yet by the Seales ye belieue it better euen so the Sacrament assures me of no other truth then is contained within the word yet because it is a seale annexed vnto the word it perswades me the better of the same for the more the outward senses are wakned the more is the inward heart and minde perswaded to belieue Now the Sacrament wakneth all the outward senses as the eye the hand and all the rest and the outward senses being mooued no questâ—on the Spirit of God concurring therewith moues the heart the more The Sacraments are then annexed vnto the word to seale vp the truth contained in the word and to confirme it more and more in thy heart The word then is appointed to worke beliefe and the Sacrament is appointed to confirme you in this beliefe But except ye feele the truth of this inwardly in your hearts except ye haue your heart as ready as your mouth thinke not that any thing will auaile you All the seales in the world will not worke except the Spirit of God concurre and seale the same truth in your hearts which the Sacrament seales outwardly except he make cleere the sight of thy minde inwardly and worke a feeling in thy heart both word and Sacrament shall lose their fruite effect which they should haue All the Scriptures are full of this the whole Scriptures of God are but a slaying letter to you except the Spirit of God concurre to quicken inwardly Therefore your whole indeuour should be to prease to feele Christ inwardly in your hearts that finding him in your hearts and seeing him in your minds both word and Sacrament may be effectuall If not your soules remaine dead ye are not translated fâ—om that death wherein ye were conceiued Therefore all the study of Christians should be when they see the Sacraments and heare the word to labour to finde and feele in their hearts and minds that which they heare and see and this I call to finde Christ quick in your owne soules This cannot be except ye sanctifie his lodging for if all the corners of thy soule remaine a dunghill Christ cannot dwell there and therfore exept ye study for continuall growth in sanctification and seuer your selues from euery thing that seuers you from Christ it is not possible that he can liue or dwell in you This is a great lesson and it is not possible to do this except as I haue said a stronger come in and possesse vs and make vs to renounce our selues Then the seales had not bene annexed to the word except for our cause for there is no necessity on Gods part that God should either sweare or confirme by seales the thing tâ—at he hath spoken for his word is as good as any oath or seale But the necessity commeth of vs there is such a great weaknesse in vs that when he hath sworne and set his seales vnto his word we are as neere to belieue as if he had neuer spoken a word So to helpe our beliefe our weaknesse and inability that is in vs for we are so vnable by nature that we can belieue nothing but that which is of our selues and the more we leane vnto our selues the further we are from God I say to helpe this wonderfull weaknesse whereby we are ready to mistrust God in euery word he hath annexed his Sacraments and besides his Sacraments he sweares the things that concerne most our saluation As in the Priesthood of Christ Psal. 110.4 he will not speake onely but he sweares and that for our weaknesse and infirmities but yet if he abstract the ministery of his Spirit all these meanes will do no good Now the last thing is how the Sacrament is peruerted how we are defrauded of the fruit effect therof Two sorts of faults peruert the
worketh that same operation in my soule which the carnall head doth in my bodie therefore he is called a spirituall head therefore he is called the head of his Church because he furnisheth her with spirituall motion and senses which is the life of the Church So to be short there is nothing in this coniunction carnall there is nothing grosse in it there is nothing that may be compassed by our naturall iudgement and vnderstanding And therefore whosoeuer would attaine to any small in-sight of this spirituall coniunction betweene Christ and vs of necessitie he must humble himselfe earnestly pray for the Spirit otherwise it is not possible to get any vnderstanding no not the least apprehension how the flesh of Christ and we are conioyned except we haue some light giuen vs by the Spirit that is except our hearts be wakened by the mighty working of the Spirit of Christ this shall remaine as a dead closed letter vnto vs. So ye are to craue that the Lord in his mercie would waken you illuminate your vnderstandings and make you to haue a spirituall light to discerne of these spirituall things Next ye must studie and be carefull to remoue all vaine cogitations earthly fantasies when ye come to heare so high a matter ye must cast off all filthie thoughts ill motions and care of the world and ye must shake off all things that clog your hearts Thirdly ye must come with a purpose to heare the word to giue diligent eare to the word with a sanctified heart to receiue it with a purpose to grow and increase in holinesse as well in bodie as in soule all the daies of your life And coming with this purpose no question the holie Spirit shall reueale those things to you which ye want And though this word passe and bring no commoditie for the present yet the holie Spirit hereafter shall reueale to thee the truth of that which thou hast now heard This then is the end of all Be present in your hearts and minds and let your soules be emptied of all the cares of the world that they may receiue that comfort which is offered in the hearing of the word Now I come to the defining of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper I call this Sacrament An holy Seale annexed to the couenant of grace and mercie in Christ. A seale to be ministred publikely alwaies according to the holy institution of Christ Iesus that by the lawful ministery thereof the Sacramentall vnion betweene the signes and the thing signified may stand and this vnion standing Christ Iesuâ— who is the thing signified is as truly deliuered to the increase of our spirituall nourishment as the signes are giuen and deliuered to the body for our temporall nourishment Now let vs examine the words and parts of this definition First of all I call this Sacrament a Seale because this Sacrament serueth to the same vse to our soules that a common seale doth to a common Euidence As the seale which is annexed to the Euidence confirmes seales vp the truth contained in the Euidence so this Sacrament of the body and bloud of Christ confirmeth and sealeth vp the truth of mercy and grace contained in the couenant of mercy and grace for this respect it is called a seale It is called An holy Seale Why Because it is taken from profane vse whereunto that bread serued before and that bread is applyed to an holy vse There is a power giuen to that bread to signifie the precious body of Christ Iesus to represent the nourishing and feeding of our soules And in respect it serueth now in the Sacrament to so holy an vse therfore I call it an holy seale This is not my word it is the Apostles Rom. 4.11 where he giueth the Sacrament the same name and calleth it a seale And further if the wisedome of Christ in his Apostle had bene followed and if men had not inuented new names of their owne for this Sacrament but had contented satisfied themselues with the names which God hath giuen by his Apostle that Christ himselfe hath giuen to this Sacrament I am assured none of these controuersies and debates which neuer will ceasse had fallen out but where men will go about to be wiser then God and go beyond God in deuising names which he neuer gaue vpon mens owne inuention such debates haue fallen out A lesson by the way that no flesh presume to be wiser then God but let them stoupe keepe the names which God hath giuen to this Sacrament Thirdly I say annexed to the Couenant annexed and hung to the Charter because it cannot be called a seale properly except it be hung to an Euidence What it is by nature the same it remaineth and no more if it be not annexed to some Euidence it is onely the hanging of it to the Euidence that maketh men account it a seale not being esteemed except it be hanged to the Euidence Euen so it is here if this Sacrament be not ministred and ioyned to the preached word to the preaching of the couenant of mercy and grace it cannot be a seale but what it is by nature it is no more As by nature it is but a common peece of bread so it is no more if it be not annexed to the preaching of the word and ministred therewith as Christ hath commanded Therfore I say the seale must be annexed and hanged to the Euidence to the preaching of the word for the confirming of the Euidence otherwise it is not a seale But it is not so with the Euidence which is the word of God for ye know any Euidence will make faith though it want a seale and it will serue to make a right if it be subscribed without a seale but the seale without the Euidence auaileth nothing Euen so it is with the word of God though the Sacraments be not annexed to the word yet the word will serue the turne it serueth vs to get Christ it serueth to ingender and beget faith in vs and maketh vs to grow vp in faith But the seale without the word can serue vs to no holy vse therefore I say the seale must be annexed to the word preached to the couenant of mercy and grace Now it followeth in the definition that this seale must be ministred publikely Wherefore say I publikly To exclude all priuate administration of this Sacrament For if this Sacrament be administred to any priuately it is not a Sacrament Why Because the Apostle calleth this Sacrament a Communion therefore if ye administer it priuately ye lose the Sacrament For this Sacrament is a Communion of the body and bloud of Christ therefore of necessity it must be by way of communication and so the action must be publikely ministred Secondly this Sacrament must be publikely ministred because Christ Iesus who is the thing signified in this Sacrament is no such thing as pertaineth to one man
is no blessednesse but all his life is more then terrible miserie For whatsoeuer it be that flatters and pleaseth thee now be it a thought or motion of the mind or an action of the bodie that pleaseth thee now without faith the same very motion cogitation or action shall torment thee hereafter So without faith it is not possible to please God and whatsoeuer pleaseth not God is done to torment thee Therefore craue mercie for whatsoeuer motion cogitation or action wherein thou hast offended God or for the same God shall offend and torment thee And to eschue the offence of God there is no meanes but by true faith therefore the studie of a Christian should be to grow in faith Now by hearing of the word thou gettest faith and by receiuing this Sacrament thou obtainest the increase of faith and hauing faith the receiuing of the Sacrament shall be fruitfull but without faith thou eatest thine owne condemnation Then the whole studie of a Christian is to get faith and this faith cannot be obtained with idlenesse but by earnest prayer therefore let euery one of vs fall downe and craue earnestly this faith and the increase of it whereby we may be worthie receiuers of this blessed Sacrament and that for the righteous merits of Christ Iesus To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit be all honour praise and glorie both now and euer Amen THE SIXTH SERMON VPON THE 38. CHAP. OF the Prophecie of ISAIAH preached in the presence of the Kings Maiestie ISAIAH 38. 1 About that time was Hezekiah sicke vnto the death and the Prophet Isaiah the sonne of Amos came vnto him and said vnto him Thus saith the Lord Put thine house in an order for thou shalt die and not liue 2 And Hezekiah turned his face vnto the wall and prayed to the Lord. 3 And said I beseech thee Lord remember now how I haue walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and haue done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore IN these words which I haue presently read welbeloued in Christ Iesus the heauie disease whereinto this godly King fell is at length described and the manner of his behauiour vnder this disease is well set downe It pleased the Lord to exercise this godly King with this heauie tentation amongst many moe And suppose it be true that diseases are common to all flesh yet the manner how to behaue our selues vnder diseases is not common Therefore let all flesh take heede to the seuerall parts of this historie that they may learne so to behaue themselues in the day of their miserie that taking vp this Kings behauiour they may in the end obtaine his comfort In the beginning of this Chapter the King is brought in lying vnder an heauie disease the kinde and manner of this disease is concealed although it may be gathered from the 21 verse of the Chap. and therefore I note it here Secondly the time when he fell into this disease is also noted Thirdly the greatnesse and weight of this disease is likewise noted And last of all the manner of the Kings behauiour vnder so terrible a disease is at length set downe To returne to the first The kinde of the disease as may be gathered out of that verse was a pestilentious byle for the name which is giuen to the byle is the same name which is giuen to the botch of Egypt that same name which is expressed Exod. 9.9 a matterie kinde of byle breaking out into many heads for so the nature of the word signifieth The most dangerous and deadly kinde of plague that was in the daies of that king In deed since as the world hath growne in wickednesse so it hath brought foorth more dangerous kinds of botches then before the experience whereof this Towne hath had For as man is ingenious to inuent new sinnes to prouoke God to wrath the Lord being both iust and prudent on the other part deuiseth new plagues to punish these new sinnes of men for the store-house of the Lords iudgements can neuer be emptied But surely it is a wonderfull matter that he should haue visited so godly a King with so terrible a both in respect that this plague proceedeth commonly from his hote rage and wrath For from his wrath it takes these names ofttimes as when it is called the finger of the Lord his feare by night his flying arrow by day and the deuouring plague Now I say the matter is wonderfull that he louing this King so well should so extremely haue plagued him in the sight of the whole world What should this teach vs This visitation of the King teacheth vs two necessarie lessons First it teacheth vs not to measure the fauor and hatred of God by any externall thing on the earth For if we looke to the visitation of God vpon his children if we looke to the nature of the plague and affliction either in quantitie or qualitie if we looke to the long continuance diuturnity of the plague in the iudgement of man and in the iudgement of him that is afflicted sometime it shall come to passe that he shall thinke himselfe in a worse case then any of the reprobate But howsoeuer it be so esteemed in the heart and iudgement of man yet it is farre otherwise in the iudgement of God For there lieth hid one thing in the heart of God concerning vs that are his children and an other thing concerning the Reprobate in such sort that suppose affliction be common to vs and them yet the cause from whence the affliction proceedeth is not common not the end whereunto it tendeth For as to vs our affliction sloweth from the fauour loue and mercy of God in Christ Iesus and tendeth to our great profite and commodity to wit that we being corrected here should not perish hereafter with the wicked world But as for the affliction of the reprobate it floweth from the hote wrath and indignation of God vpon them he as a righteous iudge beginning their punishment here which shall last for euer So affliction that is vnto them a part of his iustice vnto vs is a mercifull correction The Prophet Isaiah in his 27. chap. expresseth this matter so liuely that I thinke there is no part of Scripture in the which there is greater comfort In the 4. and 7. verses of that chapter he saith to the Church I am not saith he in furie I am not in rage suppose I strike thee yea suppose I beate thee saith he I strike not thee as I strike them that strike thee I slay not thee as I them that slay thee for in correcting thee I purge thee from thine iniquity in striking thee I remoue thy sins from thee but I do not so with the rest Then the first lesson that ye haue to learne here is this Measure not the fauour of God by any externall thing in the earth whether it be prosperity or aduersitie The
be applyed to our times Then I say praised be the liuing God our King is not diseased but surely his country is heauily diseased for so long as Papists Papistry remaine in it so long as these pestilent men remaine in it and so long as these floods of iniquity which flowes from the great men remaine there is an heauie iudgement hanging ouer this Country And in my conscience I cannot but look for a heauy iudgement vntill these things be remoued There is no great man but whatsoeuer liketh him he thinketh it lawfull And not onely is this in this part of the land but in all other parts of this Nation grosse iniquities are committed and the Church is made a prey to all men there is such disdaine and contempt of the word in the whole estate Except these things be purged I cannot looke but the Lord shall raise some if it were out of the furthest Indies to plague this land Albeit I doubt not but the liberty of the Church here and the sobs and sighes of the godly here haue delayed the iudgement from the whole land yea I am assured of it and therefore I pray God that he may so worke in your heart Sir by grace that ye may put to your hand to purge your part of the I le The Lord of his mercy establish your heart by grace that for no mans pleasure ye communicate with other mens sinnes Three maner of wayes we are said to communicate with other mens sinnes First when both with heart and hand we do one thing with them Secondly when we consent with our heart only Thirdly when we ouersee where we should reproue and forbeare where we should punish And in this way Magistrates are onely guilty Thus farre for the application Now I go forward to my text The last thing that we haue to speake of is the manner of the Kings behauiour vnder so terrible a disease we haue in the second three verses his behauiour liuely expressed As to his behauiour I speake onely of it as the text speaketh I doubt not but he reasoned otherwise and gaue other answers to Isaiah But I content me with that which the text saith Then in his behauiour we see he retyreth himselfe first to God by prayer and to testifie that he prayeth â—rom his heart it is said that he weeped bitterly Surely this is an euident argument that his prayer flowed from his heart was indited by the right Spirit for if God leaue vs to our owne natural spirit we neither know what to pray nor how to pray But as it is said Rom. 8.26 it is the Spirit of God that inditeth our prayer that raiseth these sighes and these sobbes that maketh our heart to melt in those teares that are pleasing to him So it appeareth here by the earnestnesse of his prayer that it flowed from the right fountaine and therefore it can not be but pleasing to God This prayer and manner of his behauiour assureth vs of two things first it makes vs certaine of his faith Secondly of his repentance I say it makes vs certaine of his faith For how is it possible that I can craue any thing at the hands of him in whom I trust not Or how can we call vppon him saith the Apostle in whom we belieue not Then Prayer to God is an euident argument that we trust in God So I say it is an argument of his faith and where faith is of necessity repentance must be for these two companions Faith and Repentance are inseparable As Peter testifieth in the Actes 15. chap. For so farre as the heart is purged so farre is the life renewed so faith and newnesse of life going together faith and repentance must also go together Then his prayer testifieth his faith his faith testifieth his repentance his repentance testifieth of the secret condition inclosed in the threatning and the condition being fulfilled the threatning can not strike So by this deduction it may appeare that suppose the Prophet denounced very strictly yet vnder the denunciation there was a condition which condition taketh effect in the King Thus far concerning his behauiour Now as to his gesture I shall be short in it It is said that he turned him to the wall he did this out of question for two respects First that he might weepe the more bitterly for it is said that he powred forth his soule in teares And so he desired not that he should be seene Secondly he turned him to the wall to the end that his eyes should not carry his minde from God For we know easily that when any of vs is making our prayer in any publike place there is no obiect that falleth before our senses but it will draw vs from that communing which we haue with God So it is necessarie for them that would pray earnestly to withdraw them vnto a secret place according as our maister commanded his Disciples to enter into their secret chamber Thus farre for his gesture As to the words of the prayer they are set downe in the third versâ— in his prayer he suppresseth his petition for his petition is the prorogation of his dayes according to the custome of the godly men of old as Daniel 9.4 And in place of the petition he setteth downe the reason why his petition should be heard As to the reasons they are three in number The first is Remember Lord that I haue walked in thy truth Secondly I haue walked with an vpright heart Thirdly I haue done that which is good in thy sight In all these three it would appeare that he is boasting of his owne merits for the words appeare to be full of ostentation and pride But to answer to this the Lord measureth not ostentation and pride by words but by the heart from whence the words proceede A broken a contrite and humble heart is euer acceptable to him vse what forme of words you will And a proud heaâ—t is euer displeasing to him vse what forme of words it will Now what is he doing here he is not making a vaunt or bragging of his works onely he is shewing to God that howsoeuer his plague was great yet he had a good conscience the testimonie whereof vpheld him In such sort that suppose all outward things said that God was angry at him yet he could not be perswaded in his conscience but he was his friend And therefore in his whole prayer he reasoneth as though he would say after this manner Lord thou knowest that the prophane men of this countrie will thinke it an extreme curse that I shall die without children and by this they will esteeme the deedes to be accuâ—sed which I haue done before they will curse and damne the religion that I haue reformed and the order of thy house which I haue begun And yet notwithstanding I am assured in my conscience that I haue the warrant of thy Law in all that I haue done For I sought
whole world he bringeth him into such dangers that whereas nature and naturall meanes could haue no place he deliuereth him so miraculously by such wonders to make all the world to stoupe Another end was this that this good King might be honored of all the world whom God so honored For good reason it is that those whom God so honoreth they should honour These haue bene the two ends why God hath wrought so many miracles in the person of this King For ye heard how wonderfully in the night by his Angell he destroyed a hundreth and fourescore thousands of persons this is a wonderfull thing and now when he had fallen in the hands of a terrible plague so that there is none able to helpe it yet the Lord healeth him extraordinarily and he confirmeth it by such a wonder that the like was neuer heard of or seene before In deede we reade in Iehoshuashs time that the Sunne was made to stand in the firmament but to go backe by so many houres and degrees it was neuer heard of nor seene before Looke then if these signes serued not to the honor of God and vnder God to the honor of his seruant The profite that is to be gathered of signes properly called signes instituted by God stands in the representation for there cannot be a signe properly except it represent in some measure the thing signified by it There must be some conformitie and proportion or else it is not a signe as Augustine saith But this signe whereof we speake is miraculous and supernaturall and therefore hath no such relation as Sacraments haue But yet there may be a proper and secret relation espied in it which is this for it appeareth well that God would let vs see and let the King see by the working of this signe that looke how easie it was to him to bring backe the Sunne which had but two houres to his going downe to that same place where he rose in the morning as easie it is to him and farre easier to bring backe the Kings life which had but two houres to the time of death to a fresh morning of youth againe and to a ioyfull age It is as easie to God to worke the one as the other And so we may take vp the end why these signes and such like wonders was wrought by Christ in establishing of the new couenant The end no doubt was to strengthen our faith which we haue alreadie receiued by the preaching of the Gospel for signes are not giuen to create in vs faith they are not giuen to begin our coniunction with Christ it is the preaching of the Gospell that beginneth this coniunction Signes are giuen as seales to enlarge and confirme this our coniunction And as the Apostle saith well Heb. 2. signes serue to two two ends first to beare witnesse to the truth secondly to confirme the faith of the beleeuer This ye see clearely in our Sacrament the Sacrament of the Supper This Sacrament was not appointed to make our coniunction first with Christ we haue not entry vnto Christ by this Sacrament but it maketh vs to possesse Christ whom we had alreadie in some measure It maketh vs to possesse him more fully and extendeth the bounds of our narrow heart that he may be the more largely receiued of vs so of this signe the King hath great comfort I grant there is greater comfort to be had in the word then of the signe and greater comfort to be had of the working of the Spirit within then of either of them yet it is as true that euery one of these bringeth their owne comfort There is greater comfort to be had of the word then of the signe and yet the signe hath the owne comfort There is greater comfort to be had of the Spirit then of the word and yet the word hath the owne comfort And there is no word able to vtter and far lesse any heart able to receiue that comfort yea not halfe the quarter of that comfort which is prepared for them that loue God So this signe suppose there be not so great comfort vttered by it as by the word yet it hath the owne comfort Thus farre concerning the signe it selfe As to the third thing the manifesting of this signe it is not by the vertue or power that flowed out of Isaiah suppose he was an instrument for the text resolueth this clearely where it is said This is the signe of the Lord besides this it is certaine that there is no force nor vertue in any creature yea not in the diuell himselfe to worke any true wonder but in God himselfe onely For why there is no signe or wonder which is a true wonder but it passeth the force bounds and compasse of nature Therefore there is no creature able to worke any wonder For why they are bounded within the compasse and bounds of their nature and therefore as to all these wonders and miracles which are wrought by the diuell and the Pope his vicar they are false and lying wonders I say it not but the Apostle saith it 2. Thess. 2. that the coming of Antichrist shall be in the mightie power of the diuell in the which he shall worke false wonders and lying signes And as all the rest are false and lyes so these legs and armes which ye see in the entries and porches of their Churches are manifest lies and deceits of Sathan Now as to the manner of the working of this miracle it it is said in the 2. Kings 20. that it was procured by the Prophets prayer It is â—aid there that the Prophet prayed that the Sunne should be brought backe So the prayer of the Prophet preuented before it came to passe Now that same very thing which the Lord was purposed to do and promised to do yet he wil do it in such sort that he wil haue the Prophet first to aske it Now this letteth vs see clearely that there is no merit in our prayers there is no such force or worthinesse in our prayers as to merit any thing but the Lord promiseth freely and as he promiseth freely so he performeth it as freely Then wherefore will he haue vs to pray Because prayer is a part of the worship of God he will haue vs to feele what the want of benefits is he will haue vs exercised in this part of duty that when we get them we may vse them so much the more to his glory What the prayers of this Country specially the prayers of the Church of this towne haue purchased in the withdrawing of the Lords threatning and chiefly of the last threatning I meane that huge Nauie of ships I think now the manifest effects declare But what honour God hath gotten for it our manners since that time clearely testifie For if yee looke to the growth of sinne more ougly sinnes were neuer committed then since that fame ceassed So I say he is mad and voide of all
him ready It is foolish false to thinke that preparation to death is a furtherance to death No the contrary is true The readier ye are to die the more able ye are to liue the lesse shall be your anguish when the Lord calleth As to the reasons I will not insist in them onely the last reason that maketh death to be so fearefull to this good King was the great loue which he had to the Church that was in his country the great care which he had of his faithfull subiects who should lacke by his death his mercifull protection And in this I did let you see that the country had an exceeding blessing where the Prince is so carefull for the Church in his country and of his faithfull subiects that in his death he hath mind of them and is grieued to depart from them As on the other side the Church must be as heauily cursed where the Prince hath no regard of the Church in his country nor of his faithfull subiects As to the reasons I will not stand precisely in iustifying of them all I thinke as the word soundeth that there is some thing worthy of praise and commendation in them and some thing worthy of dispraise and reproofe For so farre as they flow of faith and of the good spirit of God no question they are worthy of praise and so farre as they flow from the Kings vnruly affections they are worthy of dispraise And surely it appeareth by the words that his affections had bene somewhat vnruly Well the lesson that I gathered was This is the profite that we reape of these preposterous affections they draw our loue from God to the creatures And ere these affections can be drawne from the creature they bring such a griefe vnto them as it were another death Therefore the thing that we craued was that ye should set your affection vpon God The truth of loue is in God and therefore it becometh you to bring your hearts from the creature vnto God and imploy your affection vpon him in whom onely is solid ioy Thus farre we proceeded in our last exercise Now in the words which I haue read he returneth to his complaint and he taketh vp his lamentation againe in the first part of the 12. verse he vttereth his trouble wherein he was In the end of that verse and in the verse following he vttereth the great rage furie of his sicknes And in the 14. verse he letteth vs see what he did in this great rage and extremity of his disease Then to returne to the 12. verse I say in the beginning of it he returneth to his lamentation and he vttereth his complaint as he had wont to do bursting out after this manner Mine habitation saith he is departed and transported from me As if he would say my life is to depart and the Lord is to transport it to another part I see death is instant and the Lord is cutting off this present life of mine He letteth vs see the maner how his life is to be transported by two similitudes The first similitude he taketh from a shepheards tent The second similitude he taketh from a Weauer and his web As to the first similitude he sayth his life is to be transported from him like a shepheards tent Looke how the tents of shepheards are remoued transported and remoued so saith the King he saw his life to be subiect to the same transportation It is knowne to you all that reade histories that in the East hote countries as namely among the Tartars and Arabians where the shepheards in the sommer seasons remaine vnder tents so often as they remoue their flocks they remoue their tents And in our owne countrie here when our shepheards remoue their flockes they remoue their other necessaries alluding to that same custome so would the King say look how these tents are remoued in the sommer season transported my life is subiect to the same condition Of this similitude we haue matter full of good doctrine For this similitude doth first teach vs that there is nothing more instable vncertaine then is the life of man here beneath There is nothing more subiect to instability then this life which we liue in this body For as to the nature of tents ye see whether ye call them tents pauillions or tabernacles all is one by experience there is nothing more vnstable nor vncertaine to dwell in then is a tent For why it lacketh a ground it lacketh a foundation and stability and in stead of a ground it leaneth onely to certaine pinnes which enter not deepely into the earth and consequently by the lightest blast of euery wind they are blowne vp and when the pinnes faile the tent falleth So the King would teach vs by this similitude that this life of ours lacketh a ground lacketh a foundation and lacketh a stabilitie And therefore the King in this comparison would send vs to the life which hath the sure ground foundation and stability he sendeth vs to that kingdome which as the Apostle Heb. 12. saith cannot be shaken by no kind of stormy blasts And as I remember Heb. 11 9.10 there in these verses the Apostle maketh a flat opposition betwixt these tents that lacke a ground and the City of God saying that as tents and tabernables lacke a foundation and ground so the City of God on the contrary hath a ground and a foundation and in steede of one he calleth them in the plurall number foundations Looke saith he to the City that hath the foundations whose craftsman and builder is the God of heauen He expoundeth himselfe what he meaneth by the foundations in the last verse where he saith Such a kingdome as cannot be shaken that is whose ground is so sure that it cannot be shaken nor totter by no processe of time nor stormy blasts Then the first lesson that ye haue from this part of the comparison is this Learne to seeke for the City that hath sure foundations seek for the City that can not be shaken The Lord giue you grace so to do In the other part of the comparison he letteth vs see that so long as we are in this life we haue no pernament abode nor certaine remaining whereunto we may leane For as ye may perceiue by the historie of Genesis the Patriarkes dwelled in tens to testifie vnto vs two things First to testifie that they were no countreymen there nor natiue borne men of that country but strangers and pilgrimes in that country and as they professed themselues that they were not onely strangers of that countrey but counted themselus strangers so long as they remained on the face of this earth The second thing that they testified by dwelling in tents is that they were minded not to remaine there it was not their purpose to fixe their staffe as we speake there But they were vpon their iourney and seeking the way that leadeth homeward the way that
led to their natiue countrie to the City that hath the sure foundations as they confessed themselues Then I say there is another lesson that we may reape of his similitude It teacheth vs that we haue no permanent being here and we ought not to settle our hearts nor cast our loue on any thing here but seeing we are subiect to flitting and remouing not knowing what houre we shall be warned to remoue there is nothing more sure then that we must remoue and nothing more vnknowne then the time Therefore it becometh vs now in time while we haue leasure to transport our goods and to send them before vs where we are to remaine to send our substance where we are to abide for euer For proofe hereof your owne experience teacheth you that there is none of you who haue warning and are certaine that ye are to remoue but ye wil transport your goods and send your substance where ye are to abide Therfore seeing that this is concluded principally in all your hearts that there is no remaining here but we must remoue and ye are vncertaine in what moment ye shal be warned to remoue it becometh vs to send our goods substance riches before vs. And if it be true that our Maister sayth that the heart followeth the treasure let both heart and treasure be sent thither surely this is a singular lesson if it were learned For he is a mad man more then mad that will place his felicity where he is not to remaine and where he knoweth not what houre he shall be warned to depart I am assured there is none here but they will say as I say Yet on the other side it is as true there is none here but he doth as pleaseth himselfe Therefore I will call onely one thing to your mindes I remember there is a parable set downe Luke 12.16 concerning a rich man who did cast downe his barns and inlarged them for his great abundance when all this was done he saith to his soule Take thy rest eate and drinke and take thy pleasure for I haue laid vp enough for thee This insatiable foole as our master calleth him there knew not that he was tenant at will and he knew not of the thing that was to come but as if he had had the times and seasons at his command he layeth this resolution with his soule But ye see in this parable how soone he is disappointed and his soule getteth not the vse of this conclusion for that same night it is taken from him Well I know there are none so grosse that in words will lay this conclusion with this rich man but I know againe there are none so wise but in effect they do it There are none but they say the same to their soule in deed Alwaies I say all these conclusions are false and proceed of a foolish braine and the wisdome that bringeth on this conclusion is plaine follie and their soules shall be disappointed There is no certaine conclusion but that which floweth from the truth This word is sure therefore thou must haue thy warrant out of the word of God this word saith thou hast no certainty no not an houre here Therefore this word admonisheth all to be readie And if ye would be rich seeing riches is the blessing of God be rich in good works and send your riches before you and be rich in God that ye and your riches may remaine together there for euer If I might obtaine of you this lesson and no more I would thinke this dayes exercise well employed Then let men take such a resolution with themselues that they may be so disposed that when the messenger of death cometh he cannot come amisse come when he will Thus far concerning the first similitude The other similitude is taken from a Weauer and his web And in the words he saith after this manner I haue saith he wrought my life or wouen the web of my life to the off-cutting As the Weauer weaueth his web so is my life wouen readie to be cut off as if he would say in effect I see I haue shortned my dayes there is no remaining for me I haue brought my life to the off-cutting I haue preuented the iust time by mine owne doing I haue procured my owne death In whiâ—h words he would teach vs that by his owne doings he hath procured hastened his owne death and by his euill life shortned his time It is true indeed that as by sinne death entred into the world so by the multiplying of sinne our death is hastened For that disease is not that striketh on bodie or soule but it floweth of sinne yea the death of soule and bodie floweth of sinne The thing that shorteneth our dayes is sinne the thing that maketh our daies euill and troublesome is sinne saith Iacob Sinne maketh our daies full of anguish and griefe full of trouble and sorrow Sinne wrappeth vs in a thousand cares and exceeding vanities whereby we are deceiued and sinne consumeth vs with vnprofitable labors and trauels which are not necessarie And what more Sinne weakneth this body of ours by deceiueable pleasures it vexeth our mind with such feare and terrors as I cannot expresse them Shortly all the euill that euer God inflicteth it floweth of sinne And if it be true that this good King had occasion to say that his sinne procured his death If so godly a King so good a youth had occasion to say this that sinne shortened his dayes what may the youth of this countrey say what may I pray you our yong Nobilitie say Surely if this King walked in such paths as made him to draw neare to his death it appeareth well that they haue taken post in this way euery one as appeareth contending who should runne the speediest course to an euill end except God preuent it The Psalmist saith that the bloudie man shall not liue halfe his dayes if this be true what shall become of the bloudie adulterer of the sacrilegious blasphemer much more the Papist and the Idolater In the which and infinite other vices they runne post If a man hauing this one vice shall not end the halfe of his dayes how much more shall his dayes be shortened in whom these vices concurre all in one this is sure it cannot faile I leaue the great men and come to the inferior sort Looke to the prophane multitude ye see in their behauiour how speedily they runne this post There are two sinnnes which are ioyned together in them to wit gluttonie and drunkennesse And there are none but they know that these two are the fountaines of all bodily diseases and of the chiefe diseases of the soule whereby they perish for euer Now what I pray you saith Salomon Prouer. 23. with whom saith he lodgeth feare sorow contention debate and strife with whom but with the drunken man and with him that loueth wine yet ye see how the greatest part in
in his soule that in the 17. verse he calleth it bitter bitternesse he hath no words to expresse this bitternesse what euer it was Where the iudgements of God make such a print in the soule it is long ere sinne can blot it out and so long as the memory of the iudgement remaineth it is easie to be thankfull it is easie to go forward in doing some part of our duty it is easie to stand in aw that we fall not into the hands of God but when we blot out this memory we returne to that same puddle out of the which we were deliuered Therefore I commend to you to craue of God a sanctified memory that ye may kepe fresh the iudgements of God which either ye haue seene in others or felt in your owne bodies that the feeling of these iudgements may serue you to be thankfull to him and may make you to stand in aw and beware to fall into the hands of a consuming fire Now this King finding this benefite so sweete he is compelled to burst forth in the praise of the word of God which brought forth so good an effect And first he praiseth it generally from the good it doeth vnto all men Then he prayseth it in particular from his owne particular experience comfort which he receiued in his owne person This doctrine is necessary and notable for these times First then he praiseth the word from the good it worketh in all flesh By these things sayth he men liue that this by the force of these words it commeth to passe that we enioy the benefite of this naturall life wherby we liue in this body vpon earth For the Lords word calleth on things that are not as though they were and his word maketh them to be By his word he created heauen and earth by his word he gaue man life and breath and whatsoeuer is necessary to him By his word he assigned to him the earth the seasons and bounds of his habitation To this end that man being created according to the image of God he might seeke God and no doubt he is not farre from euery one of vs For as the Apostle sayth Act. 17. In him we liue moue and haue our being And as this is true in this naturall life so is it as true in the entertainment of this life for by the benefit of this word we are sustained For our life standeth not onely in meate and drinke but in euery word that proceedeth out of the Lords mouth Mat. 4. that is in euery thing wherunto the Lord giueth power to nourish For it is the Lords word that giueth power to nourish vs. And suppose meate and drinke were remoued the Lord is able to make stones to nourish vs. This good King acknowledged this good effect to come of the word and therefore he praiseth the word Now after he had praised it from the generall effect he goeth forward and praiseth it from his owne particular experience and he saith in the conclusion of these things The life of my soule standeth that is in thy saying and doing in thy truth and mercy in thy promising and keeping thereof standeth the life of my soule as if the King would say Not onelie haue I this naturall life which I liue in this miserable bodie by the benefite of the word but I haue a more precious life the life of my soule and spirit which discerneth me from the rest of mankind which putteth me in a better estate then the rest of the world which maketh mine heauen to begin here which neuer shall end For as there is a life and death of the body so there is a life and death of the soule The life of the body may be conioyned with the death of the soule and the death of the body may stand with the life of the soule The life of the body standeth in the presence of the soule the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life Except the soule be borne againe by the Spirit of life ye shall neuer see the face of God before the soule be quickned by the Spirit of life it remaineth a dead carion dead in sinne dead in the lusts of the flesh as the Apostle saith Ephes. 2. Colos. 2. And consequently there remaineth but a carriō both in soule body the soule being as void of a spirituall and heauenly life as a carion is of a naturall life The words of the Apostle in that place in sundry places are Dead in sinne dead in trespasses and in the vncircumcised lusts of the flesh Where death hath place life must be wholly extinguished and where death hath place there can neither be halfe life quarter life nor a breath of life But so it is that death hath place in our soule by nature Therefore by nature there cannot be so much as a sparke of that heauenly life in it And if there be not so much as a sparke of life in it where is that halfe or quarter life whereof the Papists speake They will not haue it dead but lamed or crooked The Apostle saith in plaine tearmes that it is dead and therefore that spirituall life must be wholly put out and consequently all kind of will to good and all sight of God in Christ is banished away this death of the soule remaineth perpetually in vs vntill such time that the participation of the Spirit of life which is in the body of Christ Iesus free vs from the law of sinne and from the law of death which is in our owne nature Rom. 8. Now would ye know whether your soule liueth or not Would ye perceiue whether this Spirit of life be begun in you or not I will giue you certaine effects whereby ye may examine the life of the soule There are many effects giuen vs in the Scriptures as namely Gala. 6. But I leaue them choose three speciall effects whereby euery one may discerne of the life of the soule There is first that inward peace of conscience There is next that ioy and reioycing vnder trouble There is thirdly a loue of God a loue of vertue and an hatred of vice where euer any of these three hath place there the soule liueth where thou findest thy conscience refreshed and thy soule recreate from the great terrors manifold pangs of sinne no question the soule liueth for this is the effect of the right Spirit and this is the right peace whereof the world is ignorant that passeth all naturall vnderstanding The more thou makst this peace to grow the more thou liuest in thy soule The more this peace groweth the more sinne decayeth the more thou castest out all that baggage of sin that troubleth the quiet estate of the conscience In a word the onely thing that troubleth the soule that disquieteth the conscience and that we haue to cast out is sinne For sinne is the onely thing that seuereth vs from God in whom there
Sunne whereof ye heard and heauen and earth shall perish ere a iot of his promise faile Yet notwithstanding this is true that there is such a constancie and fidelitie in him all these promises will not auaile vs except the Lord prepare our hearts yea except he sanctifie our hearts by meanes of faith that in our soules we may see this truth we shall neuer regard it and except he giue vs a heart to apply this truth all the promises which he hath made and is to make serue for no vse to vs. Therefore it is the dutie of all Christians to be instant in crauing that the Lord would prepare their hearts by faith that seeing him in their minds and feeling him in their hearts they may find his mercie and truth and repose in them for euer After this we entred into the recommendation of the word of God and generally we praysed the word from this that we haue the benefit of this temporall life by it as this is true in generall so he goeth forward and praiseth the word from his owne experience in particular and he granteth that not onely he hath the benefit of this temporall life by the word but of the spirituall also And as he hath the life whereby he liueth in his body by it so he hath by it the life whereby he liueth in the soule For as there is a life and death of the bodie so there is a life and death of the soule The life of the bodie may be conioyned well with the death of the soule for we may liue in the bodie and be dead in the soule at one time Also the death of the bodie may stand with the life of the soule for we may depart from this life and go to a better The life of the bodie standeth in the presence of the soule but the life of the soule standeth in the presence of the Spirit of life except our soules be borne anew againe by the vertue of that Spirit of life it is not possible that we can see God and taste of his ioy For by nature we are not onely hurt lame maimed but altogeâ—her dead in sinne so that looke how voide a corps is of a naturall life as voide are we of a heauenly and spirituall life The reason is this where death hath place there life must be wholly put out But by nature death hath place in vs therefore the spiâ—ituall life must be wholly put out If the Spiâ—it of life be wholly put out there remaineth not so much as a breath out of the which any good cogitations or actions may proceede If so be there is not so much as one breath where is all that free-will of the Papists where is that integritie which remaineth in the filthie nature Then I say we naturally remaine in the death of bodie and soule still vntill that by the paâ—ticipation of the Spirit of life which dwelleth in the bodie of Christ vntill I say that this Spirit free vs from sin and death And so vntill this time we shall neuer mount aboue the clouds nor see the face of God And therefore as I exhorted you the last day so I insist in the same exhortation now that euery one of you marke and perceiue your selues whether you haue such a life begun in you or not I gaue you three effects which will neuer deceiue you The first is if ye find your selues refreshed and recreate in your spirits from the terrours of your conscience and the feare of sinne which recreation and refreshment of the spirit is called that peace that passeth all vnderstanding whereof the world is ignorant he that findeth any of this if it were neuer so little within him no question he hath this life begun in him and the more this peace is augmented the more the life groweth But this peace groweth by remoouing of sinne Therefore our whole studie should be to remooue sinne for the onely thing that troubleth the conscience is sinne Take away sinne the conscience shall be at rest Wherefore this was the chiefe effect I willed you to take heede vnto The second effect is ioy and reioycing vnder trouble For we see trouble of the owne nature bringeth not foorth this effect but rather bringeth foorth sorrow heauinesse and lamentation Then when our spirit is so disposed that vnder trouble we reioyce and glorie in it this is the Spirit of life This ioy is not in all troubles it is not in the trouble which we procure but onely in the trouble which we sustaine for righteousnesse sake and which we sustaine for Christ his sake The third effect is if ye haue a loue of God and good men and a hatred of euill where these effects are in any measure no doubt but the Spirit of life is there As by the contrary where there is a loue of wicked and euill men no question let them speake of Christ as they will the spirit of the diuell hath full dominion This Spirit of life we shew was entertained by nourishing of the knowledge of God when we edifie our selues in our most holy faith when we nourish the exercise of prayer As by the contrary the Spirit is put out when by our euill doings we put out the knowledge of God when we diminish our perswasion of his mercie in Christ fall from the exercise of prayer Then ye that haue this life begunne nourish it by well doing for by well doing no question our faith is corroborate Delight therefore in well doing sow in the Spirit and not in the flesh run not with the thiefe nor consent not with the murtherer for so ye shall be participant of their punishment but sow in the Spirit and of this ye shall reape an euerlasting and comfortable life where otherwise of sinne ye shall reape nothing but shame and euerlasting condemnation I haue discoursed long on this head because it is very necessarie and I would wish you to consider of these things Thinke on the great benefits of God granted vnto this countrey Thinke againe vpon our ingratitude and vnnaturall behauiour There is no Christian that will weigh these two in one ballance but he shall conclude that it is wonderfull why the Lord suffereth iniquitie in this countrey so long to be vnpunished Formerly when there was but crums of the bread of life they ran to seeke it so that they compassed both sea and land and spared neither trauell nor cost to be ingrafted into the kingdome of Christ But now when there is plentie of it we haue taken such a lothsomnesse thereof that we abuse the liberalitie of God offered to vs and turne his grace and mercie into vengeance on our owne heads For as to the multitude ye see that they haue alreadie preferred the leauen of the Pharises and gone to mumchances mumries and vnknowne language wherein they pudled before As to the noble and gentlemen they are so drunken with sacriledge that rather then they will render these goods
among men that they were very curious disputers subtill reasoners moued doubts vpon euery thing chopped changed with the truth of God as if it had bene the prophane word of man at the last they began to moue questions raise some doubts vpon the very articles of our beliefe And the spirit of the diuell to carried them forward that from doubting at the last it came vnto a plaine defection They denied the article of the resurrection in particular So they did not onely lose themselues and poysoned the Auditorie but they peruerted the truth of God so farre as in them lay From these mens example the Apostle forewarned his Disciple and in him euery Pastor that they beware not onely of this vaine iangling about wordes specially in matters of conscience but chiefly beware of the roote fountaine from whence they spring to wit of that naturall selfe-loue which we nourish all in our bosomes and are so loth to part with in our whole life And we haue an example before our eies in our time of a man going about to make himselfelfe great and to get the praise of men who in the end not onely hazarded his own estate but endangered the estate of the whole Church so far as lay in him So as the example of Hymenaeus was meete to moue Timothie to beware of such a vice euen so let the example of our Hymenaeus which is yet in our eyes moue vs that we fall not into the like snare that we cast not only not to hunt for the praise of men but also that we apply vs to eschue the root and fountaine from whence it springeth to wit that naturall selfe-loue whereof euery one of vs hath a portion And since we are entred into the schoole Christ let vs study to learne that one lesson to renounce our selues The Lord giue vs hearts to learne it and make vs to be borne againe in this life and to renounce our selues in this life which are not the workes of man but the singular works of God renewing man Now as he hath shewed him what he shall eschue and that this is the vice which he should chiefly flie so in this 15. verse he beginneth to admonish him that the contrary of it is the chiefe vertue which he should embrace and the onely thing which he should aime at during his whole life to wit he should Study to be approoued of God For seeing there is no workman but he wisheth to sute his worke to be allowed of this is a common instinct in vs with the rest to seeke to be approued therefore the Apostle informeth him and admonisheth him what sort of approbation he shall seeke at whose hands he shall seeke it and after what manner he shall come by it So for the present we haue these three things to speake of Of the sort of approbation that a Pastor should seeke at whose hands he should seeke it and how and after what manner he shall obteine it As to the sort of approbation it must be spirituall godly flowing from the Spirit of God and not from flesh and blood And as it must flow from the Spirit of God and not from flesh and blood so must he seeke it at the hands of God onely and not of any creature liuing Study to be allowed of him for why suppose men would allow of thee thou art not the more approued For if thou in stead of others shouldst praise thy selfe thou art neuer one haire the better For if a man honour himselfe saith our master Iohn 8. his honour is nothing worth and he whom men commends sayth the Apostle 2. Cor. 10.15 is not approued but onely he is approued whom God commendeth Therefore let vs not seeke honour one from another but let vs seeke the honour which cometh from God onely let vs studie to be approued of him onely for obtaine we his approbation we shall get the other two for there is but three in all For if God approue vs he shall make our owne conscience approue vs. And haue we our owne conscience and God within our conscience to allow of vs we haue two of the best for these two will neuer leaue vs they will stand by vs here and when it cometh before an higher Tribunall they wil make vs ioyfull And as to the third sort which is by men where these two go before we shall haue the Church of God no doubt and good men to upproue vs. For where God and conscience calleth a man inwardly this God maketh his Church by their testimony to ratifie his calling outwardly As ye see he commanded the Church to separate Paul Barnabas to the worke whereunto he had called them inwardly so obtaine we his approbation we shall haue all the three Therefore let vs looke to none but his we looke to his approbation when we looke to our selues then honoureth he vs when we honour him When we seeke nothing but him then seeketh he vs and our weale And it is for better for vs that he seeke our good then that we our selues seeke it For he can and may seeke it best Therefore let vs studie to seeke God and his honor that God may seeke vs and our honor And will we looke who hath sent vs forth who employeth vs who made vs Embassadors in stead of Christ we shall find that we ought to studie to please none but him We are not subiect to render account to any but to him To him we are subiect indeed therefore it is necessarie that we studie to be approued of him Now to come by his approbation the Apostle sheweth vs what way we may proceede how we shall behaue our selues namely that we do two things First that we studie that is that we haue a sound care to present our selues before him Next that we studie to present our worke of the ministery before him as he would say that we studie to take heed to our selues and to our office To our selues that we be good Christians to our office that we be good Pastor for he will neuer be a gooâ— Pastor that is not a good Christian Therefore the first thing that he must take heed to is to his person that he studie to present himselfe get accesse to his countenance and stand before him Now there is no standing before God but in puritie and by puritie of the heart it is the pure heart only that looketh vpon God and standeth before him For Blessed are the pure in heart saith our Maister Math. 5. for they shall see God The heart againe is no way purged but by faith so it is by faith onely that we stand present our selues vnto God The good Pastor to get himselfe approoued must studie for the increase of faith and sanctification For he shall neuer teach with authority and power except he feele in himselfe the thing that he would haue wrought in others how shall he prease to sanctifie others
himselfe is neuer disappointed of his expectation Exhortation Faith is the free gift of God Certaine effects whereby we may know if we haue faith Our faith must be coÌ„tinually nourished because it is ioyned with doubting Doubting faith may lodge in one soule 1 Cor. 4. A doubting and weake faith is faith and shall neuer decay The spaâ—kles of faith though they be smothered they are not wholly put out nor are idle Similitudes shewing that the sparkles of faith though they be couered are not extinguished A sure retreat to repose on in highest tentations A lesson Of loue which is the secoÌ„d point of our triall How the word loue is taken in the Scripture The definition of loue Of our loue toward God Of loue towards our neighbour Conclusion with an exhortation The diuerse taking of the word Sacrament Ephes. 3.9 Ephes. 5.32 The heads to be entreated of in this Sermon 1. The signes in the SacrameÌ„t Why they are called signes 2. What is the thing signified in the Sacrament Question Answer The thing signified must be applyed How the signe the thing signified are ioyned together This coniunction is made cleare by the coniunction betwixt the word and the thing signified thereby How the signe and the thing signified are giuen and receiued Considerations thereof The signe the thing signified are offered in two actions by two instruments and after two manners Of the other part of the Sacrament which is the word Anâ—wer 1. By the Sacrament we possesse Christ more fully then by the simple word 2. They serue to confirme the truth contained in the word Exhortation Faults whiâ—h peruert the Sacrament Conclusion with an exhortation Of the Supper of the Lord in particular Heads to be intreated of First head generall Of the names giuen vnto this SacrameÌ„t both in the Bible and by the Ancients Second head generall Of the ends why this Sacrament was instituted Third head generall Of the things contained in this SacrameÌ„t outward and inward wherin sundry heads are intreated The thing signified in both the Sacraments is one the signs are not one Why in Baptisme there is but one signe and in the Lords Supper two Two questions What power the bread hath to be a signe in this Sacrament And how long that power endureth 1. Answer That bread hath that power from Christs institution 2. Answer That power continues during the seruice of the Table An obseruation How the signes the thing signified are coÌ„ioyned in the Sacrament How the signe and the thâ—ng signified iâ— receiued What kinde of receiuing Christ is established in the Sacrament Inconueniences cast in by the Papisâ—s against the spirituall â—eceiuing of Christ in the Sacrament First inconuenience That the Sacrament is supeâ—fluous Refutation of the first Inconuenience Second incoÌ„uenience Refutation of the second inconuenience obiected wherein are sundrie reasons giuen why the wicked are counted guiltie of the body and bloud of Christ. Exhortation Third inconuenience Refutation of the third inconuenience How the soule is said to eate the body and drinke the bloud of Christ. Obseruation Faith is that which couples vs and Christ. Similitude taken from the Sunne Conclusion with an exhortation How we are said to eate the flesh and drinke the bloud of Christ. Our vnion with Christ by one and the same Spirit Exhortation The definition of the Sacrament of the Lords Supper Why this Sacrâ—ment is called a Seale Why it is called an holy Seale Why the seale is said to be annexed to the couenant Why the Sacrament should be ministred publikely First reason Second reasoÌ„ Why this seale must be ministred according to Christ his institution None hath power to institute a Sacrament but God onâ—ly We call the word in the Sacrament the whole institution Word and element must concurre in the constitution of a Sacrament What we meane by the word in the Sacrament What the Papists vnderstand by the word in the SacrameÌ„t The third head in controuersie How the elements are sanctified The word of blessing and thankâ—giuing vsed indifferently expressed by the other How the Papists sanctifie the outward Elements Refutation of the doctrine transubstantiation by three sorts of arguments The first sort of argument Second sort of argument Third sort of argument Other arguments vnto the same effect Their last râ—fuge The reason that moues the Papists to thinke thâ—t Christs body cannot be present in the Sacrament except it be really carnally and substaÌ„tially present Obseruation The diuerse opinions coÌ„cerning the presence of the body of Christ in the Saâ—rament How a thing is said to be present and absent How the bodie of Christ is present The last point in controuersie betwixt vs and the Papists Conclusion with an exhortation Heads to be intreated in this Sermon First lesson Second lessoÌ„ The time when the King fell into this disease Obseruation Doctrine The Prophet visiteth the King and inioyneth two things to him The dutie of the Pastor toward his diseased brethren The first omission that appeareth to be in this denunciation The second omission The third omission The King behauiour in this disease The Kings behâ—uiour makes vs certaine of his faith and repentance The Kings gesture in his disease The words of his prayer Dan. 6.23 1. Cor. 4. A wonderfull thing to haue recourâ—e vnto the same God who smiteth â—esson Recapitulation Diâ—isâ—on First lesson 2. Lesson 3. Lesson Doctrine The circumstance of peace Third circumstance The comfort that the King receiued Why mention of Dauid is here made Why Dauid is called Hezechias Father What maketh vs the sonnes of God 1. Lesson 2. Lesson A fault to be eschued in Ionas person Application to the King A vertue to be followed in Esaiahs person Doctrine Application The points of the comfort that the King receiued Obseruation Application Obseruation Exhortation to the Kings Maiestie Recapitulation The heads of doctrine to be intreated of The cause why he sought a signe How the wicked seeke signes Some refuse signes when they are offered How the signe was shewed Why the signe was wrought in the diall Why it was wrought in the body of the Sunne What profite is to be gathered of signes By whose power this signe was wrought The force of prayer in procuring this signe Why the Lord willeth vs to pray Application The Kingâ— thankfulnes for the beneâ—ite receiued The parts of the Kings Song A short sum of the Kings life A Christians chiefe exercise The first part of the song The diuersity of seeking death in the wicked and godly The way to eschue the feare of death Application The reason why deaâ—h was grieuouâ— to him Application The second reaâ—on why death was grieuous to the King How God was said to be seene of old Application The third reaâ—on why death was grieuous to this King Applicatâ—on What is worthy of praise or reprofe in these reasons Conclusion with an exhortation Recapitulation The heads to be treated of in this SermoÌ„ The manner of the transportation of the